Tallahassee Democrat – 11-17-12 ‘Roadmap’ leads to a new way of dealing with children. There’s a term for a policy that helps individuals, protects the society at large — and saves money. It’s called common sense. The state Department of Juvenile Justice’s new Roadmap to System Excellence is indeed an exercise in common sense. The […]

11-1-12 A civil citation program for juvenile offenders has been so successful; police in Tallahassee are expanding it to adult misdemeanor offenders. Statewide, of 8,000 juveniles given a citation and treatment instead of a record, only 7% reoffended in a first year. The Smart Justice program is backed by business interests. “If it’s substance abuse. […]

Panama City News-Herald – 11-1-12 Tallahassee and surrounding Leon County are about to embark on a law enforcement experiment that deserves to be closely watched by other Florida communities. Officials from the capital city announced Wednesday that they will begin issuing civil citations as an alternative to arresting adults for first offenses of minor, nonviolent […]

WCTV – 11-1-12 First-time offenders in Leon County could be getting a break if they’re caught for non-violent crimes like shoplifting or underage drinking. They could get a civil citation instead. It aims to give a first timer the chance to avoid a rap sheet and a trip to jail. “The end result means that […]

WTSP GANNETT – 11-1-12 TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Some police and prosecutors around Florida are embracing a new approach in law enforcement that gives a break to people who make a dumb mistake and then face a lifelong criminal record. The Florida Smarter Justice Alliance says it’s seeing growing support for the idea of giving adult […]

THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA – 11-1-12 The state’s criminal justice system has seen some success with using alternatives to lock-ups for juvenile offenders. It’s been so successful that there’s a burgeoning movement to increase the use of non-jail diversion programs with non-violent adult offenders. Backers of the idea announced on Wednesday an agreement with […]

Associated Press – 11-1-12 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Law enforcement officials from Tallahassee and surrounding Leon County announced Wednesday that they’ll be the first Florida jurisdictions to adopt civil citations as an alternative to arresting adults for first offenses of minor, nonviolent crimes. The Florida Smart Justice Alliance, a recently formed coalition that promotes changes […]

Tallahassee Democrat – 11-1-12 Leon County law enforcement officials, prosecutors and public defenders gathered Wednesday in support of an initiative to decrease the county’s recidivism rate and allow more people to have clean arrest records. The Florida Smart Justice Alliance (FSJA) announced Leon County will serve as a pilot program to issue civil citations to […]